Assessing and filtering the rushed in Indian policies

June 18, 2019 12:31 pm

Sudeep Sen, Head of Industrial, Manufacturing & Engineering Vertical, TeamLease Services discusses how ‘Make in India’, though made a good start, needs to be given more time and how the newly elected government is expected to show some momentum on the same.

Mudra loan, intended to be a game changer, is now hogging the headlines due repayment challenges posed by the MSMEs. What are your thoughts on that?
There are three aspects, one is the decisive parameters in terms of offering the loan i.e. in terms of the industry innovation, technical interventions and also the execution. If they are convincing then it is a matter of time for them to be able to do the repayments.

What do you think has Make in India made for India’s manufacturing sector?
Make in India and ‘New India’ have aided the manufacturing industry to pick up up pace. Other factors such as Digital India, changes in FDI norms and even India’s improving rank in Ease of Doing Business has motivated a lot of MNC’s to set up manufacturing hubs in the country.

The launch of the new defence corridor that links leading military manufacturing units of five cities of South India, has encouraged companies to set up manufacturing units in India. At this point, it is a little too early to rate the success of initiatives such as Make in India.

How can Digital India be more user-centric?
In order to increase the awareness about technology, right investments need to be made. This should be in terms of making the workforce tech savvy, systematic investment in people should have equal importance.

Assessments should be done and learning programs should be designed based on the capability, credibility and experience of the workforce. Then, there would be constant improvement and encouragement. Finally, the roles and responsibilities should be given as per the technological adaptability of the workforce.

What do you think needs to be done to reboot and realign the priorities of Make in India so as to turn India into a genuine manufacturing heavy weight?
Make in India has made a good starting impact, but needs to be given more time. With the present government getting another stint of 5 years, we can expect the momentum to continue.

There is an increasing pressure on manufacturing companies to keep their prices low in a highly competitive market. How are you reducing costs at the manufacturing level?
The impact of manufacturing cost varies, depending on the nature of the company. Quality and volume play are the two different approaches that generally companies take. The cost of manufacturing is not much of a concern for those having a niche market. However, those in the volume game need to invest in technology and look for ways to reduce the cost.

Is manufacturing industry going green? What is your company’s contribution towards the same?
Our company has implemented an Associate application (Associate App). This helps the manufacturing companies and its employees in tracking attendance, leave, pay-slips etc in the digital format.

How do you view your industry’s future robust roadmap in manufacturing?
The staffing industry has evolved by leaps and bounds in the last five years. And this shall continue, as the value addition along with the offerings in terms of productivity will increase with time. The staffing industry is set to witness a growth of 25 per cent due to the manufacturing industry.

Systematic investment in people should have an equal importance similar to the investment made in technology
Sudeep Sen, Head of Industrial, Manufacturing & Engineering Vertical, TeamLease Services